Reviews & Ratings for
Crac More at IMDbPro »

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A gorgeous history lesson, 9 February 2008

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

This French-Canadian film is simply gorgeous--like a moving tapestry. For the time it was made, this was a standout film that begged to be noticed for both its artistic styling as well as the fascinating history lesson contained within.

The film begins with a chair being built long, long ago. As the years passed and life changed around the chair, it's all shown in a magically lyrical manner--with lovely folk music, dancing and visuals.

To me, this is a film that tries to encapsulate the entire pioneering spirit and link it to today. It achieves it spectacularly and is well worth seeking out--since, unfortunately, the film is practically forgotten today even though it did receive the Oscar for Best Animated Short in 1982.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
How clever, 26 April 2001
Author: LeRoyMarko from Toronto, Canada

Very interesting short film by Frédéric Back, the same that gave us «L'Homme qui plantait des arbres» in 1988. In this short film (15 minutes), we see the cycles and the seasons of life through the eyes of a rocking chair. A look back at the traditions and folklore of French-Canada.

Again in this one, the animation is fantastic. Traditional french-canadian music was carefully selected for the film.

Out of 100, I gave it 82.

2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Superlative Animated Story, 11 May 2001

Author: Ron Oliver (revilorest@juno.com) from Forest Ranch, CA

CRAC goes the tree as it falls to earth, its lumber soon to be fashioned into a sturdy rocking chair destined to become a prominent part of the home of a Quebecois frontier family.

This little French Canadian film is pure animated joy. Telling its story from the viewpoint of a piece of furniture, it is served exceedingly well by its exuberant, expressionistic drawing brimming with pastel colors. Interweaving convivial, lighthearted dance music with snatches of lullaby & legend, it tells its multi-layered, beautifully detailed story without the need of obtrusive dialogue. A true modern classic, this is a film which should delight viewers for generations to come.

Winner of the 1981 Oscar for Best Animated Short.

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Beautiful animation of epic proportions, 25 January 2008

Author: stalker vogler from Xanadu

In only fifteen minutes of animation with minimal dialog Frederic Back represents the transformation of the world of Quebecois lumberjacks into the modern industrialized city. The story is centered around a rocking chair, one of the symbols of older generations (many cartoons feature a rocking chair coupled with grandpa/grandma) and the stories that particular chair has seen until it finally ended up as a museum piece. The story has an air of innocence that is further emphasized by the use of pastel colors, the type children use to draw. The outlines of the characters and decor are also pretty much stylized in the manner of a child. However, even if this isn't the technology of Pixar it is still better than many, more complex animations, because the technique used is relevant for the ideas Back wanted to present. It is precisely because the drawing is "sloppy" that the cartoon is so effective in catching the viewers eye.

3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
One of the most exceptional animated shorts I've ever seen in my life!, 6 November 2001

Author: Robert Reynolds (minniemato@hotmail.com) from Tucson AZ

This short, one of the most deserving winners of the Academy Award in its category that I've had the pleasure of seeing, is simply magnificent, Excellent idea, wonderful animation and music, marvelous pacing and transitions, just glorious on all counts! The ending is perfect! Frederic Back made at least three other shorts besides this one and I truly wish I could find any or all of them in-print on VHS. So far as I know, they've never been available in the United States. *SIGH* Well, Crac is in print, at least. Most completely and joyously recommended.

You Will Never Look At a Rocking Chair the Same Way Again!, 8 November 2011
Author: Alexander Mitchell from United States

In the days of high-tech screen wizardry, this delightful French-Canadian film is a joy of gentle, simple animation. It depicts a slice of the history of Quebec, or Acadia or just about anywhere in frontier North America, in a touching and somewhat sentimental fashion, through the tale of the life and times of a lowly, hand-crafted rocking chair. Only small details, such as the rich background of traditional Quebecois folk music and the attire of certain figures, shows this story to be that of French Canada; the story is otherwise seemingly universal, expressed with no dialog. The animation is a rich palette of pastels and illustration seemingly from the children's literature genre, which works marvelously for the story at hand. It's not a perfect film--a brief flit with contemporary political commentary disrupts the story flow momentarily--but I have seen people moved to tears by the film's darker moments and then tears of joy at the conclusion.

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